Strategic PR Gives Companies Amped Word-of-Mouth Advertising

A lot of folks say that the best way to advertise is by word-of-mouth. In certain cases this just might be true. My parents owned and operated a successful hamburger joint in Vernal, Utah for over 35 years without ever paying a cent for advertising. They were able to do this because they produced a great product and people in the community spread the word about where you could get the best tasting hamburgers in town. Their business thrived, on word-of-mouth advertising alone, for decades.

Sure, this works great if you are a small hamburger joint in Vernal, but what if your business exists in the realm of modern technology? Word-of-mouth is, more than likely, not going to work the best for you. Technology is a vast world where everything is happening at just under the speed of light. Good technology products and services are a dime a dozen. Focused, strategic PR is the only way that your company’s voice will be heard above all of the others. True, it differs from traditional word-of-mouth as it will cost your company some cash, but it carries tremendous validation and provides a lot of bang for your company’s buck.

Say your PR agency is able to secure you a briefing with, for example, The New York Times. In a way, this is word-of-mouth advertising on steroids. The New York Times is read by millions of people around the country each day. People put tremendous value into what the publication’s editors and writers think and say about products, services and the world in general. Your company will get more ROI out of a briefing with The New York Times than it ever will from traditional advertising methods.

When you feel that your company is at a place where it needs PR council in order to take it to the next level, make sure you pick an agency that adequately meets your company’s needs. Remember, they will be deciding the “mouths” that will spread your company’s “word.”